06 August 2020
The Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young, has today responded to an online petition calling for the
Bay of Granville Fishing Agreement to be revoked by confirming that a review of the agreement is currently underway.
In
his response to the petition, Deputy Young says that, while he does not think that it should be revoked, he and other Ministers agree it should be improved, and the review is aimed at:
- developing relationships between Jersey and France to ensure that marine resources can be sustainably managed
- ensuring that any measures to sustainably manage fish and shellfish stocks apply to all fishing vessels in Jersey waters
- providing equal, fair and unfettered access to market opportunities for all boats accessing the waters.
Minister for the Environment, Deputy John Young, said: “The fact that a petition was launched, and has attracted so many signatories, indicates how important it is to protect our waters. Jersey and France are working together to review the agreement, and I have recently written to the French Minister for Agriculture and the new Minister for the Seas to outline the position taken by the Government of Jersey.
“While Ministers remain committed to the Bay of Granville Agreement, we do recognise that reform is needed to make sure that the agreement continues to adhere to the principles it was founded on, and we will ensure that the changes that come from the review benefit everyone involved.”
Greg Morel, Natural Environment Marine Resources, said: “While work on the review is underway, we are mindful that the agreement has to comply with any changes to the UK/EU relationship which are agreed as part of Brexit. Because negotiations between the UK and the EU are ongoing, we are working to keep as many options on the table as possible.”
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